The Frame Up (Alessi Brothers #1)

1. Olivia

OLIVIA

T hree men were about to change my life.

Three brothers, to be exact. They collectively held my fate in their hands and they were a mere fifty feet away from me, inside a gorgeously renovated historic building.

A referral from them, hell, even a shared credential with their prestigious company, would catapult my studio into a whole new sphere.

With that possibility at the top of my mind and in the spirit of preparedness, I was standing outside their office, rehearsing for our meeting. For the past ten minutes, I’d been pacing a worn path as I reviewed the preliminary plans and sample schedule I’d spent two weeks putting together.

This meeting needed to go perfectly.

Usually, my preparation and attention to detail smoothed over any pre-meeting jitters, but the butterflies taking up residence in my stomach were undeniable.

I needed to calm down. Being a sweaty mess was definitely not the impression I was going for.

I drew in a centering breath and began reciting my affirmations.

You are a strong, capable woman.

You can do anything you set your mind to.

You can hold your own in any professional environment.

You have a stomach full of pizza and an ass that won’t quit.

I smiled to myself. My mantras were working to bolster my confidence, per usual. This project would be the springboard I needed. It had to be. If I played my cards right, it could even be life-changing.

In the two years since officially operating under my own studio name, I’d worked with a bunch of builders, but never the Alessi brothers.

The local industry respected them, but they gained national acclaim after executing multiple high-profile projects in the past few years.

When Helen told me she hired them, I was giddy with the implications this project could have for my career.

The brothers had a reputation for restoring older homes to perfection and building new ones with impeccable craftsmanship. They also had a reputation for being meticulous hardasses.

Helen had insisted I meet with them before construction crews broke ground on her new home to begin carefully planning every little detail.

I agreed, even though I wouldn’t typically be involved in a new build until much later on in the process.

The extra work was worth it given the obscene amount of money she was paying me.

Resume fodder aside, the paycheck from this job would set me up for years. I would be free to take on clients of my choosing on a timeline that worked for me. I would gain creative freedom in a way few designers ever did. Clients would hire me for exactly what I was good at and let me do it.

Every dream I had as a girl could become a reality if this went well, which was why I’d prepared.

Since I’d never met the brothers, I did some professional research over the past few days. There may have also been a side of girl-level internet stalking.

Of the three of them, I found Lucas to be the most intimidating.

He was a certified structural engineer, while also working on job sites to execute builds.

He seemed well-rounded and knowledgeable.

Of course, he was the lead on Helen’s project.

Then there were his brothers, Adrian and Leo, who handled the architectural and construction portions of the business, respectively.

Glancing down at myself, I knew I looked the part in high-waisted pants and a matching cropped blouse.

Unfortunately, a dot of red sauce on my chest was throwing a bit of a wrench in my Stylish Professional persona.

Who wears all white then devours half a pizza and an order of mozzarella sticks before a huge meeting?

Apparently, I do.

Not my best moment, but likely not my last. I was organized with my agency, meticulous even.

Laundry, on the other hand, was not my strength.

I wasn’t proud to admit my outfits were often decided by what was clean and unwrinkled more than any intention.

I could probably invest and retire with the money I spent rewashing loads I’d forgotten to move to the dryer.

So I ended up in white today. And once I walked into Tony’s, he insisted on feeding me.

I’m only human. Who could turn that down?

I should have known better and just avoided Anthony’s altogether, but I’d needed the confidence boost from him and Maria before this meeting.

With a plea for a miracle to the Italian food gods, who frankly owed me for the stain, I began the short walk to the door of the Alessi Construction offices.

As I approached, I noticed the big, gorgeous ninebark bushes lining the exterior of the building.

The deep magenta foliage popped so beautifully against the stone exterior, making the white bunches of flowers shine.

They looked like they belonged there. I briefly contemplated how absurd it would be to steal a little flower bunch.

Maybe pin it on my shirt like a prom corsage? I could rock it.

As I weighed the option, a voice rumbled from behind me, catching me off guard.

“Ms. Dawson?”

I flinched, my hand shooting to my stomach to still the chaos. The chances I was being mugged in the cobblestone parking lot of Alessi Construction by a man who knew me by name were slim, but I was deep in stain management strategizing and caught off guard.

A glance at the ground revealed the imposing shadow of the man behind me.

Turning slowly, I caught my first in-person glimpse of an Alessi brother.

Yes, I had internet stalked these men, but my professional resources had been woefully void of many photos of the men themselves and I hadn’t delved into their more personal footprints.

I was a serious professional, after all.

Still, I was ninety-percent confident I was staring at Adrian Alessi. His clothes were professional, which tracked, since I knew he handled the architecture department. Leo would dress for the job site, and I’d stared enough at the few photos of Lucas I’d found to know it wasn’t him.

“Sorry to startle you. Adrian Alessi.” He held out his hand, and I met it for a quick and firm handshake.

Bingo.

The FBI should really have an initiative to recruit women under forty.

“Hi, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m here to meet with your brother, Lucas, about the Arnoult project.”

“Yes. I’ve been made aware of your meeting,” Adrian responded with an easy, knowing grin. I clocked it as a weird response, but kept my armor of bravado and my smile intact.

Adrian dragged his gaze from the top of my head down to my heels.

He was probably a foot taller than me without them, so the assessment required little movement from him.

It was still obvious as hell, causing me to cock my head to the side, projecting a silent I can see what you’re doing right now .

He answered with an even bigger smile and a look in his eyes that was a bit too mischievous for my liking.

“This will be fun. Let me take you to Lucas.”

I squinted my eyes just slightly, but fell into step with Adrian as we entered the beautiful building.

“This building is lovely. Did you restore it yourselves?” I asked. Might as well get on their good side. We passed through the front door to a sprawling foyer and a historically accurate staircase .

I was surprised the place hadn’t been gutted to create one giant open-concept space like almost every other renovation I saw these days. Pleasantly surprised. Instead, it still felt like a home. It relaxed me in a way I never experienced when entering a business meeting.

To our left was a room that had been adapted into a reception area.

I was instantly smitten with the deep navy color of the walls that flooded onto the ceiling and the thick molding that adorned the entire room.

A man who looked to be in his mid-twenties wearing a plum-colored plaid shirt and a coordinating textured tie sat at a desk made of dark wood.

Men didn’t have nearly as many fashion options as women, so it was rude to be jealous of that tie, but suddenly it was the only thing I’d ever wanted in the world. Instead of asking him where he shopped like I wanted to, I nodded and smiled at the young man.

Focus, Olivia.

Adrian held up a finger to me in a wait one second motion. Then he turned to the man at the desk.

“Hey, Ethan. I’m going to take Ms. Dawson back to see Lucas. If anyone’s looking for me, let them know I’ll be right up.”

“No problem!” Ethan nodded, offering me a smile before returning to his work.

Adrian motioned for me to follow as he continued down the hallway. As we walked, he answered my earlier question.

“Yeah, we did everything ourselves. The building’s been in our family for decades, but was mostly a pile of rubble until we put it back together about five years ago.

It’s beautiful because of all my amazing ideas, so thank you.

” He winked and continued down the hall until we reached a set of glass French doors.

They led to a sunroom that had been converted into a meeting room, complete with rich wood and texture everywhere.

Picture molding accented the walls, upholstered seating encircled the large wooden table, and ornate frames containing paintings of houses they’d built hung in the spaces between windows.

Paintings. These men were commissioning paintings of their successes. My insecurities bubbled back to the surface.

You are every bit as impressive as oil painting portfolios.

Through the glass doors, I noticed a man sitting at the large antique table. He was looking over a stack of papers with his brows creased while rubbing his fingers over his mouth in obvious disapproval.

Lucas Alessi.

His dark hair was long enough to curl a bit, a few locks strategically falling in a way that would seem contrived on anyone else. It should have looked almost boyish, but his bone structure and dusting of scruff made it look charming and deeply masculine instead.